1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to catheters. More particularly, the present invention relates to external catheters having antiseptic agents capable of killing and/or preventing the growth of bacteria and/or yeast.
2. Background of the Invention
In home and hospital settings, it is common practice to employ catheterization devices to drain urine from patients. Such catheterization devices include indwelling catheters, intermittent catheters, and external catheters, which are also known as condom catheters.
In patients with normal control over bladder functions, an external catheter is sometimes used instead of an indwelling or intermittent catheter since the risk of infection or other disease may be minimized with an external catheter. An external catheter is not inserted into the patient's urethra, and it therefore may have some advantages over other current catheterization devices that require temporary or prolonged urethral insertion in order to drain the urine from the bladder.
An external catheter is placed over a patient's penis like a condom used for sexual intercourse and has at its end a reservoir connected to a tube which is connected to a collection bag. Earlier external catheters were not self-adhesive and a band around the catheter was used to hold the catheters in place on the penis. Later advancements were made in the adhesive techniques which resulted in lining the inside of the catheter with a glue-like substance. This caused the condom-like catheter to stick to the flaccid penis and keep it in place throughout the day. Some also use a skin-prep pad that is wiped on the penis before the external catheter is applied which quickly turns into a sticky gel-like substance which further causes the catheter to stick to the penis. This pad is so sticky when first applied that it is difficult to remove without damaging the skin.
An external catheter is usually used on patients who have an ability to control their bladder functions but may have limited hand dexterity or ability to get to a toilet, or may be unable to direct their urine flow into a urinal. Also, an external catheter can be used on individuals having abnormal bladder function but who may still experience spontaneous bladder contraction after their bladder is full. This often occurs in patients with stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, etc. An external catheter is not normally used for patients with bladders that are unable to contract, such as patients with spina bifida. External catheters have been mostly comprised of a latex material until recently when silicon catheters have become popular.
There are studies that have shown that the rate of urinary tract and bladder infection is lower for individuals who change their external condom catheter daily as compared to every other day. Therefore, most doctors recommend that an external catheter be changed every day to prevent infections. However, infections do still occur at a significant rate in those individuals who depend on external catheters due to the prolonged presence of residual urine within the tip of the external catheter.
Thus, there is a need in the healthcare industry for a catheterization device, specifically an external catheter, that functions effectively for a sustained period of time without being prone to infection.